Three Down, Two To Go

LuLu, the oldest of my two daughters, turned 16 yesterday and became our 3rd driver.

To celebrate, we had supper at The Midnight Diner in Uptown Charlotte.

Afterward, she wanted dessert, so we Ubered to The Yard, a milkshake joint with the best name ever.

As we waited on our order, I thought back to when Lu came into my life.

I was 35.

She was 4.

And she wanted nothing to do with me.

From day one, I hoped that would change, and for a long time, I didn't think it would.

But then the morning came when Lu was about six, and she crept into my office to sit on my lap to see what I was doing.

I knew I was at least on the right path.

Fast-forward to last night when one of the waitresses looked at her and asked, "Are you a daddy's girl?"

Maybe she didn't hear the question.

Maybe she was just being polite.

Maybe she thought they were asking about her biological father.

Or did I hear it wrong?

Either way, I'm pretty sure she said yes.

But I know this - if she did slip up and say yes, she'll never admit it.

For all the millions and millions of times I've told her I loved her, she's never once said the same to me.

And that's perfectly OK with me.

I know she loves me.

Despite the fact we were celebrating, I couldn't help but think of the mistakes I made with her.

Lord knows, there were plenty.

If I had a dollar for every parenting mistake I'd made, there'd be no need for Ten-Ten-Ten; I could retire on those mistakes alone.

I pondered this as I slid a card across the table.

I struggle with the way things are now versus how they were when I was a kid.

Long before I could drive, I learned how to wash cars.

And that was part of my job, every week.

I hated it.

I hated it even more than mowing the grass.

Lu, by contrast, has never once washed a car.

Nor has she mowed the grass.

Of course, she's also grown up in the new school age with mountains of [mostly useless] homework and extracurricular activities like clubs and sports that are practically full-time jobs.

No kid today has the time to do it the way I did.

Still, I often think that allowing my kids to participate in that stuff instead of getting a job early on will have been my number one mistake.

And so I struggled with this gift to the point of not picking it up until yesterday afternoon.

An AutoBell carwash pass.

One year of unlimited washes.

Was it the right thing?

I don't know.

I won't ever know.

But I do know she's a good kid.

A wonderful daughter.

And like I told her last night, a beautiful young lady like her should always ride in a clean car.